Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Of the millions of people that lived in Republic City, it was hard to find someone that did not know about the Gaang. The group of YouTubers had risen to fame over the course of several years, and you could hardly walk around the city without hearing their names mentioned at least once.

“Oh my spirits, isn’t this the place that Sokka reviewed last week? We have to eat here, he said the meat was incredible!”

”These shoes are so cute- Wait, these are the ones that Katara recommended that were so comfy! I have to get them now!”

“What? There’s literally no way that you could even match up to Toph’s skill, dude. It wouldn’t even be a real fight, they’d smoke you.”

“I love falling asleep to Suki’s videos, her voice is so comforting to me. Even when she’s talking about pressure points to take down someone larger than you.”

“Did you hear about that pet store down the street that got shut down? Thank Agni it’s gone now, I remember Aang tweeted about how they mistreated animals a while ago.”

Zuko had first heard about the group when they appeared on Republic News several years ago, but not for a positive reason. The then tennage trio made headlines when they accidentally destroyed a man’s cabbage stall. Multiple times. In completely different locations. All in one week. The cabbage stall owner had called them “vandalizing miscreants who couldn’t appreciate the hard labor of working people.” A few days later, YouTube’s watchful algorithm recommended the trio’s apology video, and Zuko, bored out of his mind on a Saturday evening, decided to watch it. Zuko didn’t even notice that he had spent the entire night binging all of their videos until his alarm went off.

Their videos were mediocre at best, but not bad considering Sokka was only a teenager and the other two were even younger. Though, in hindsight, they probably shouldn’t have been on YouTube making videos at that age, but who was Zuko to police them? They made Zuko laugh during a time in his life when he didn’t have a lot to laugh about.

From that day onward, Zuko was a fan of the Gaang and enjoyed all their content. When they finally got serious and began to make real videos showcasing their interests, Zuko’s interest did not wane. He found that Aang’s meditation videos helped his eternally restless mind mellow out, especially when paired with a cup of Uncle’s tea. Katara’s medical advice was interesting to listen to, and Sokka’s workouts tended to be great background noise. When Suki joined, Zuko was impressed by her duality; one week she would post a make-up video, and the next, she was tossing Sokka over her shoulder like he weighed nothing. Toph was the catalyst that broke Zuko’s humor when they were added to the roster, pranking the other members and somehow always getting away with it. 

He had watched Aang, Katara, and Sokka, then Suki and Toph, grow from young hopefuls with a dream to popular celebrities with almost 20 million subscribers, which kept getting higher by the day. But the Gaang still remained humble and energetic, always pumping out new videos for their fans. It was clear that they loved what they were doing, and Zuko was, honestly, a bit envious.

Young Zuko wasn’t very interested in high school, and even less so in what awaited him after. Being raised to take his father’s place as CEO of Kasai Industries was not how Zuko wanted his future to go. Though it was his family’s business, there was not a single bone in Zuko’s body that wished to inherit the CEO position. The only reason Zuko put up with it all was to spite his father, who was only waiting for Zuko to fuck up bad enough so he could pass on the company to his younger sister. Azula becoming CEO was the only thing Zuko and his father could agree on, but spirits be damned if Zuko was going to just roll over and let his father control him.

The Gaang’s enthusiasm for making YouTube videos was inspiring, and young Zuko found himself wondering if he could do the same. Was it possible for Zuko to pursue something he loves, make videos for the sake of his passion, and find himself surrounded by people that loved his videos? Perhaps not to the scale of the Gaang, but he desperately wanted to try. It was then that Zuko’s gaze landed on the crossed swords hanging on the bedroom walls of his room in Uncle’s apartment.

Swordsmanship was an old pastime that he was encouraged to pursue by his mother and uncle in his childhood. But then his mother had run away, and Zuko had been too depressed to pick it back up, leaving his swords and all memorabilia of her in his uncle’s care. Even now, years after she was gone, there were still complicated emotions swirling around in Zuko’s chest whenever he looked at his dao swords. 

However, Zuko was nothing if not determined, and for the first time since his mother had left, Zuko held his swords in his hands. He still remembered Master Piandao’s instructions, his stern voice ringing clear in his head. Hold the grip firmly, loosen your wrists, stay light on your feet. A few practice swings told Zuko he was rusty, but it was nothing a little bit of training couldn’t fix. Zuko, completely fixated on his swords, didn’t hear his uncle walk into his room, nor did he see the older man’s shocked expression turn into a proud one. 

The day after Zuko had committed himself to relearning the sword, his former master showing up to his uncle’s apartment took Zuko by surprise. Zuko looked over to his uncle, who simply smiled. Though Zuko had no idea how he had known, he chalked it up to another example of his uncle’s incredibly intuitive sensory abilities. 

Zuko fell back into training with Piandao with ease, a welcome reprieve from his mind-numbing high school classes. Zuko confessed his wish to start a YouTube channel, and his uncle had immediately searched for proper video equipment. Piandao offered to let Zuko record in his private training area, which Zuko had thanked the older man profusely for. However, when it came to naming said channel, Zuko was stumped. 

Obviously, Zuko could not use his own name. It would undermine the whole reason he was sneaking around, the reason being his father. At the time, Zuko was still a teenager who needed to depend on adults for survival, and though Uncle always offered a way out, Zuko was certain that he wouldn’t make it easy for his father to get rid of him. In addition, it became clear that Zuko would need to hide his face. His scar was easily identifiable, made worse by the fact his face was known by many because he was technically a public figure for Kasai Industries. It would be much easier if Zuko could cover his whole face, and so, Zuko went on a search for a suitable mask. 

Uncle’s more unconventional ideas, like a head-sized teapot, didn’t amuse Zuko. Though he loved the older man dearly, Zuko sometimes found himself withholding the urge to strangle his uncle. Browsing a masquerade store did not help matters, with Uncle trying on masks for himself and striking absurd poses. Zuko’s temper came to a boiling point when Uncle asked for Zuko’s opinion on a neon pink mask adorned with an absurdly large feather. Young Zuko stormed out of the store, done with his uncle’s carefree attitude. At that age, Zuko had not gone to anger management yet, and so he took out his rage on his room in Uncle’s apartment. Zuko’s destructive path led him to upending his mattress, where a box Zuko had not thought about was collecting dust.

It was as if a memory was unlocked in Zuko’s brain. Going to the theater to see a play, and being utterly disappointed in the troupe’s performance. Acting out the main conflict between the villain and the hero, forced to play the villain by Azula. A woman’s voice excitedly explaining the play’s plot and every character’s backstory. 

He had completely forgotten about the old cardboard box, nostalgia and longing weighing down the boy’s shoulders as he bent down. Upon lifting the flaps, Zuko began digging through his mother’s belongings with care. A photo album, old play scripts, her favorite clothes; each object brought back memories that Zuko had shelved away in the back of his mind. At the bottom, carefully placed into another box and wrapped with cloth, were masks from his mother’s favorite play, Love Amongst the Dragons. Zuko remembers playing with them, and being lightly scolded when she found him. He never exactly knew why his mother would always look at the masks with such fondness, particularly the Dragon Emperor’s one. 

Zuko instantly picked up the Dark Water Spirit mask, the character he was forced to play as Azula played the Dragon Emperor. In the plays that Zuko had seen, the Dark Water Spirit was merely a villain to push the story forward. The Spirit, despite being able to bind the Dragon Emperor to a mortal form, was easily defeated in the end. It was why Zuko disliked playing the Spirit when he and Azula would act their fight out. But their amateur acting was now a warm memory for him to look back on, and when Zuko put on the mask, it fit perfectly. 

Again, Zuko found himself marveling at his Uncle’s knowledgeable prowess when the man looked unsurprised at Zuko’s chosen mask. A little misty-eyed, yes, but the older man only patted his shoulder in congratulations. Uncle did comment that naming his channel The Dark Water Spirit was a little too on the nose, but Zuko shrugged and named it The Blue Spirit. He’s a content creator but that doesn’t mean he’s creative; he knows it’s bad, sue him. 

The name worked, no matter how lackluster his uncle always that commented it was, and Zuko began his secret journey as a YouTuber. Zuko had always been bad at keeping secrets however, and it didn’t take long for Azula to discover his hidden hobby. She had followed him on his way to Master Piandao’s and eavesdropped on their conversation before confronting him with his channel pulled up on her phone. After almost emptying out his entire bank account to buy whatever she wanted to keep her quiet, she began tagging along and heckling him in the background. Zuko recalls having to stop recording multiple time just to glare at her, though he was unsuccessful in intimidating her to stop.

Though The Blue Spirit was made on a whim, Zuko loved making videos. Whenever he donned his mask and began recording, his mind cleared, a respite from his harsh reality. Once Zuko graduated high school, he started working at Kasai Industries, much to his chagrin. He could not disobey his father (yet), but more importantly, he needed money. Unknown to mentioned father, Zuko also made some money on the side with YouTube and working at Uncle’s tea shop when he had time and energy. Unlike his job at Kasai, Zuko genuinely enjoyed the latter two because he had chosen to work there and he had no coworkers to worry about. That was the way Zuko’s life went: go to work at Kasai, record Blue videos, work at Uncle’s. He slept and ate when he remembered to, and barely interacted with people.

But recently, Zuko had reached an obstacle in his YouTube career. While he was still making videos as an adult a few years later, he still loved every moment of it. He had branched out into showcasing other weapons that Master Piandao taught and lent to him, though his dao swords would always be his favorite. Zuko had even roped his sister and friends into friendly spars, though it normally ended with Zuko being bruised and the girls being completely fine. Whenever Zuko posted a spar, the comments were always filled with concern and simping; concern for him and simping for them, respectively. It always stroked the girls’ egos while bruising Zuko’s own in good fun.

The point is, Zuko had no new ideas for content. He debated on bringing new people into his videos, but like how Azula brutally put it when he asked for her opinion: “do you even have anyone to ask?” Though he hated admitting his faults, Zuko had to concede and agree with her this time. He didn’t particularly dislike meeting new people like Mai, but he found it hard to connect with others. 

Zuko was aware that he had a resting bitch face, and that his scar made him even more intimidating. On top of that, he is the inheritor of Kasai Industries, the top company in Republic City, though he wished not to be. His status and looks, coupled with the fact that Zuko genuinely didn’t learn how to talk to people and still doesn’t, makes him as unfriendly as possible to anyone who is unfortunate enough to have to speak to him. And so, Zuko was forced to suck it up and ask his little sister, who had at least befriended Ty Lee and Mai.

As much as Azula loved to tease and banter with him, sometimes she did give Zuko valid advice whenever the urge came to her, regardless if Zuko had asked for her opinion or not. This time, though, she laughed in his face for five minutes and was no help at all. Ty Lee was the one who suggested that he utilize his barely used Twitter and ask his fans directly what they wanted.

At this point, in the 23 years that Zuko has been on this planet, he began to notice a pattern of his impulsiveness in his life. He started watching the Gaang and then made a YouTube channel on a whim, simply spurned by his emotions at the time. And now, he was about to post a somewhat desperate Tweet asking his fans for ideas, thoughts, anything. 

The Blue Spirit @BlueSpirit

Hello, Blue here. Been feeling uninspired lately, and wanted to know if you guys have any ideas. 

XX:XX XM ⋅ XX XX, 20XX ⋅ Twitter for Android

117.4k retweets  234k likes

i speak for the mushrooms @plutospiritofthemushrooms

Replying to @BlueSpirit

Ok Blue hear me out.. face reveal. /j

The Blue Spirit @BlueSpirit

Replying to @plutospiritofthemushrooms

Nice try

no dont be suspicious @darlinganon

Replying to @BlueSpirit

what about fighting all the others at once? i think it would be really fun!

The Blue Spirit @BlueSpirit

Replying to @darlinganon

Hmm maybe. I think I’d get my ass kicked brutally

I AM SINK @aster11a

Replying to @BlueSpirit

you should totally collab with someone!! like.. The Freedom Fighters! or the Gaang!!!

The Blue Spirit @BlueSpirit

Replying to @aster11a

Those are two very different channels. I highly doubt they’d want to collab with me anyway

777 @seven

Replying to @BlueSpirit and @aster11a

OMG YES THE GAANG WOULD BE SO FUN ESP SOKKA

starlight starbright @luvre

Replying to @BlueSpirit and @aster11a

@TheGaang pls pls

bam bish @bambee

Replying to @BlueSpirit @aster11a and @luvre

@TheGaang TAG EM AND BAG EM BOIS 

Show this thread

While it was fun to banter in the replies, Zuko took the time to take everyone’s ideas into account. He spent the next few hours reading every Tweet and taking note of them. Well, except for the really weird ones; who the fuck still asks for feet pics in this day and age? It was nice to converse with his fans, outrageous responses and all. Really, the Gaang? Like they would ever reply to-

The Gaang ✓ @TheGaang

Replying to @BlueSpirit

What’s this we hear about a collab? 👀

Zuko blinks once, then twice. He refreshes his Twitter, turns off his phone, but the Tweet is still there. His childhood saviors, the ones who brought him out of dark times and inspired him to start his YouTube channel in the first place, replied to him. And they don’t seem to be opposed to the idea. A notification from another app turns Zuko’s attention away from the surprising Tweet, but what he sees floors him.

The Gaang!

gaang.official

XX XX, 20XX XX:XX XM

yo blue

Hello.

sooooo

you wanna record avideiowhtn

Sorry about Sokka, he has no tact at all

It's fine.

When are you available?

I'm normally free on weekends.

Okay, is next Saturday alright?

Sure.

Great

We all look forward to our collaboration, Blue!

Me too.

Holy shit. Holy shit. This has to be a dream, but Zuko’s not waking up, and even if it was, he would never want to anyway. He’s floating on cloud nine, ecstatic to be working with the people who he’s looked up to for the past few years. He rushes downstairs to find his uncle, when an unbidden thought flashes through his mind.

If they replied to his Twitter, then they must have seen… Oh, fuck. Zuko’s thirsty and fanboy Tweets about the Gaang come flooding back, and he squats in shame on the stairs, cursing at his past self for having no brain-to-phone filter. Oh, please, Spirits above, let them not have seen anything incriminating.

Chapter Text

The Blue Spirit

blue_spirit

XX XX, 20XX XX:XX XM

yo blue

Hello.

sooooo

you wanna record avideiowhtn

Sokka’s phone disappears from his hands without warning and he immediately whines, already preparing to complain to the one person who would disapprove of his actions and take his phone away so rudely.

“Katara!” 

She holds his phone out of reach from where he sits at his desk and glares at him, her eyes burning with fire. Her burning stare is enough to make him – the older sibling – immediately shut up out of equal parts of fear and respect. Katara frowns, pointing to the screen where his chat with Blue is still open.

“Are you kidding me? I know we agreed to collab with Blue, but I didn’t expect you to sneak away during the conversation and send him a message yourself! He’s going to think we’re unprofessional now!”

“We are unprofessional.” Sokka deadpans. “We don’t even have a manager.”

“Teo’s basically our manager– but that’s beside the point. I’m going to do damage control now while you sit right here and do nothing. Got that?” Sokka groans but complies when Katara squints at him menacingly. Katara perches herself on the corner of his bed while she types away on his phone. Sokka can only catch glimpses of the conversation from his chair.

Sorry about Sokka, he has no tact at all

It's fine.

When are you available?

I'm normally free on weekends.

Okay, is next Saturday alright?

Sure.

Great

We all look forward to our collaboration, Blue!

Me too.

Katara nods in satisfaction and turns her attention back to Sokka, who has taken to spinning around in his chair in boredom. She sighs and reaches out a hand to grab onto one of the armrests, stopping his movement. Sokka blinks quickly to clear the dizziness that plagues him when he comes to a sudden stop and focuses on his sister.

“Are you done? Can I have my phone back now?”

“Hm, let me think.” She taps her finger against her chin.

“Katara!” Sokka scoots toward her in protest, but she puts her foot on the seat of his chair. 

“Be quiet, I’m still thinking.”

Sokka deflates with a drawn-out sigh. Katara takes pity on her brother and finally hands him his phone, but not before issuing him a final warning.

“I swear on Tui and La, Sokka, if you message him out of the blue again—”

“But he is Blue, haha— Okay, okay, I won’t, I’m sorry.” Sokka puts his hands up in response to the glare Katara gives him for interrupting. “I’ll just be on my computer, not messaging anyone.”

“…I don’t trust a single word you say anymore.” 

With that, Katara shakes her head and walks out. Sokka sticks his tongue out at her retreating figure and sinks back into his chair. He stares up at the ceiling for a few moments, then sits up as straight as a bisexual can. Tapping the space key to his computer a couple times wakes it and he’s greeted with a picture of him, his sister, his dads and his mom as his background. They’re in a restaurant his mom loved to frequent before she passed, all of them smiling merrily. A smile flickers across his face, but it’s quickly replaced with a frown when Sokka notices his inbox staring back at him from the corner.

Though Sokka refreshes his mail a few more times, it remains as empty as his DMs. Normally, an empty inbox is what many people aspire to have, an incredible amount of unread emails to get to and not enough time to get to them. Aang and Toph are two of those people, their unreads running into the thousands; however, Sokka knows that Aang gets emailed far too much to actually clear his inbox completely, and Toph just doesn’t give a shit. 

But the grass is always greener on the other side, as the saying goes. Sokka wishes he was getting real emails like his friends instead of spam and random subscriptions he forgot to unregister from. Perhaps thousands of emails is excessive, but fuck, he would love a response from any of the jobs he applied for. Even a rejection would suffice rather than ghosting him and leaving him waiting for an email.

Instead of wallowing in depression, Sokka switches over to the Gaang’s shared email, doing his due diligence in keeping it as empty as possible. At least this inbox gets stuff from time to time, unlike his own bare email. There are a few emails that promise to give them “exposure” and immediately go into the trash; really, who even falls for that trick anymore? Sokka skims through a few notifications from various platforms, replying to the Gaang’s mutuals congratulating them on their first collab. Jet from the Freedom Fighters makes a snide comment, feigning concern when he asks if Sokka will need a replacement due to his ankle. Sokka considers replying, but remembering Katara’s anger over his impromptu conversation with Blue, he instead shuts down his computer to refrain from saying something he’ll regret (and get yelled at for).

With a huff, Sokka frowns at his reflection on the dark screen, then directs his gaze at the pink bandage wrapped around his ankle. He rotates it ever so slightly, causing a sharp pain to shoot up his leg and a small hiss to escape Sokka’s lips. At the time, a video about fighting geese seemed like a good idea. But then the geese decided to strike back, and Sokka rolled his ankle trying to get away from them; not the best plan in hindsight.

To be fair, that wouldn’t have happened if Toph hadn’t egged him on, and Toph only did that because Sokka was depressed about his unemployment. Yes, Sokka Qanik was completely and utterly unemployed at the age of 23, if you couldn’t already infer from his desolate inbox. Sokka is technically a YouTuber, but try explaining that you make money from filming and talking to yourself to your Gran Gran. His dads barely understood his profession, even though they were the ones that convinced Sokka and Katara to pursue YouTube as a career in the first place. Not even Katara could truly sympathize with him; she was currently working toward a medical degree as a pediatrician. Sokka is proud of his younger sister, don’t get him wrong, but it did make him feel out of place. 

Everyone in his friend group has some kind of hobby they’re passionate about. Aang has his skateboarding, Katara her medical and environmental stuff, Toph games, and Suki has her dojo and makeup as a side gig. So much for the “Plan Man” of the Gaang; what kind of plan man doesn’t have a plan for his own life? 

“Are you having a staring contest with your computer?”

Katara’s voice cuts through his dark self-reflection like a canoe sailing across calm waters. Leaning back in his chair, Sokka stares at his upside-down sister and pouts, trying to chase away the inferior thoughts in his head the only way he knew how. Being annoying. 

“Tara, I’m bored.”

“Hi bored, I’m Katara.”

“Gross, dad joke.” Sokka gives Katara a thumbs down and she rolls her eyes. 

“Stop trying to change the subject. Have you eaten yet? Or at least had some water?” At his silence, she shakes her head and turns around. “Fine, I’ll go make you something.”

“Oh, dearest little sister, if we were white, I’d marry you.”

“Now that’s gross.”

Sokka chuckles at her disgusted expression and grabs his crutches to follow. When the Gaang had moved into their new house, Sokka had desperately wanted an upstairs room, but at this moment, he was glad he had lost the straw game. It was not fun to wobble around on two metal sticks, and stairs were an even bigger pain to deal with. Still, it was still better than the alternative of hopping around on one foot, especially after he had tried that in the beginning and almost sprained his other ankle, leading to another lecture from Katara. 

Following behind said woman, Sokka noticed that the living room was now cleaned up and empty. The meeting — if Sokka could call it that — was apparently over, the rest of the household having scattered. Sokka could hear Toph laughing in their room, and in the direction of the training area, the thudding against the mats and Aang’s pained groans made it evident where the last two were. Only Suki could see through the young monk’s evasive tactics and catch him; she had the most wins in the house, only losing when she was under the weather. 

Sitting down at the kitchen island, Sokka leans his crutches against the wall and reaches for the plate of sandwiches Katara is putting together. His crutches then decide to fall and clatter loudly to the floor. Sokka’s eye twitches as Katara snickers.

“Your extra legs fell.”

“I’m aware of that, thank you very much.” He snaps. Sokka tries to prop them up again, but they fall into his lap instead of staying upright. “I can’t wait to stop using these fucking things.”

“Oh, did you want me to drive you to your next appointment? When is it?”

“This Wednesday, early afternoon,” Sokka states after checking his calendar. “Are you busy that day?”

“Not really. I do have a meeting in the morning, but it should be over pretty quickly. If not, I think Aang is free.”

“Huh?” The younger man appears when his name is called, sweaty and limping slightly. Behind him, Suki doesn’t even seem tired at all as the two of them make their way over to the siblings.

“Hey, Suki. Kick his ass?”

“Hell yeah.” Suki fist-bumps Katara, matching sinister smiles on their faces. Sokka and Aang make eye contact and shiver at the same time; the women in this household are scary.

Aang pipes up nervously to break the tension. “So, why did you say my name?”

“Right. Aang, are you free on Wednesday? I could take Sokka to his appointment in the afternoon, but I can’t guarantee my morning meeting will be finished in time.”

“Sure, I’m not busy!” He nods. “Text me the details later, I need to shower and get ready.”

“Why, got a date with your boyfriend?”

“Yep!” Aang’s bright grin dazzles everyone and eliminates Sokka’s desire to tease him. He’s too honest and precious, his sweet nature doubled when it comes to Teo. 

“Alright, have fun.”

Aang bounds up the stairs as Suki heads over as well. “I’m going to take a shower too. Not because I have a date, I’m just sticky.”

“You better not have a date, you ex-girlfriend stealer!” Sokka shouts at her retreating figure.

“I’m your ex-girlfriend, too, idiot.”

Sokka holds up his middle finger and angrily bites into his sandwich. 

“She can’t even see you flipping her off, Sokka.” Katara sighs.

“Whatever! I don’t care.” He sniffs and wipes away a fake tear. “Two of the most beautiful girls I’ve ever dated—”

“The only girls you’ve ever dated.”

“—and they break up with me, only for me to find out that they started dating each other? Oh, woe is me.”

Shaking her heat at his overly dramatic reaction, Katara opens her mouth to respond, but a notification from Sokka’s phone interrupts their conversation. Sokka glances at the screen and his heart skips a beat; Sokka can barely believe his eyes, but it’s right there, real and true. With trembling fingers, Sokka clicks on the notification.

From: Koko H. <[email protected]>

To: Sokka A. <[email protected]>

Subject: Interview

 

Dear Mr. Aput,

Thank you for taking the time to interview with Fire Corp. We wanted to let you know that we have decided to move forward with a different candidate for the position of spokesperson.

Sokka’s shoulders slump. Of course he didn’t get the job. Even if his hopes were raised for a little bit, at least Fire Corp had the decency to email him back. 

However, I have recommended to the board that you would be a good fit as Zuko Kasai’s assistant. I was impressed by your technological skills, which would be useful under Mr. Kasai. I am happy to answer your questions if you would like any specific feedback on your application or interviews.

We wish you the best in your job search and future professional endeavors. 

Koko Hinata

Fire Corp Human Relations

 

Sokka remembers Koko as a petite older woman who laughed at his jokes without a mocking tone in her voice. She seemed almost like an aunt, the kind who pinches your cheek and gives you hard candy. But her recommendation was unthinkable, bordering on insane.

Zuko Kasai was like a cryptid of Fire Corp, an elusive creature that was the basis of many rumors. Even though he’s the heir of a multimillion dollar company and the son of its CEO, Sokka knew next to nothing about him. A quick Google search gave him only Zuko’s face, age, and some minor biographical details from an interview a few years ago. Trying to find out Zuko’s favorite food was like a conspiracy and a half; there was even a Reddit argument debating spicy flakes versus mapo tofu. More depressing than that was Zuko’s complete lack of social media presence. Sokka’s not saying that everyone should be chronically online like him, but people should at least be semi-online to keep up with the times. Zuko’s Twitter was depressingly bare save for the replies to his sister’s much more active account. 

Although, if he remembers correctly, there was some gossip going around a year ago. A possible romance between Zuko Kasai and Mai Kuroi made the tabloids, a relationship between childhood friends turned boss and investor.

This was a popular topic back then not only because of their status, but also because Mai was publicly dating Ty Lee Taohong. Sokka knew her as a famous gymnast and, coincidentally, also a longtime friend of Zuko’s. Now, don’t get him wrong. Sokka loves drama and keeps up with the most popular newspapers. But love triangles still hit a little too close to home, so he kept his distance when their alleged scandal was still running through the rumor mill. 

Working for a mysterious man that might have tried to seduce his friend that was dating his other friend was not high on Sokka’s list of potential jobs. Fire Corp itself wasn’t even high on his list, shackled by its own fair share of hearsay. However, with other outcomes looking bleak, Sokka squared his shoulders and replied back to Koko, thanking her for the interview and the recommendation. He made sure to flatter her for a bit before gently prodding about Zuko, curious about his prospective boss. Koko deftly dodges his questioning, however, and redirects the conversation back to Sokka’s interview. Damn, she’s good.

Admitting defeat, Sokka accepts her offer, finally feeling satisfied for once in a long time as he closes out of his email. 

“Congrats, Sokka.”

He screams. Katara watches with an amused expression as he clutches his chest, trying to calm his heart.

”Katara! When did you— Were you reading— Go away!”

“I was here the whole time. Not my fault you forgot about me.” She plops onto the couch and starts scrolling through Netflix. Sokka picks his sandwich back up and eats it while pouting, the bread now soggy from the mayo. The siblings enjoy a moment of peace before Sokka breaks the silence.

“Hey, Katara?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I tweet out the Blue collab announcement?”

“Where was this politeness when you messaged him?”

“Do you want me to ask or not?”

“Fine. You can do it.”

“Yay!”

“No swearing.”

“Aw.”

The Gaang ✓ @GaangTwitter

It is #confirmed: a Gaang x Blue Spirit collab is coming soon! Stay tuned!

XX:XX XM ⋅ XX XX, 20XX ⋅ Twitter for Android

843k retweets  917k likes

The Blue Spirit @BlueSpirit

Replying to @GaangTwitter 

Thank you for collabing with me, it's truly an honor.

The Gaang ✓ @GaangTwitter

Replying to @BlueSpirit

The honor is all ours, Blue!

NT stands for no time @justaloadofgarbage

Replying to @GaangTwitter and @BlueSpirit

Holy fuck my dream is coming true am I asleep someone pinch me

Chapter Text

The collab between the Gaang and the Blue Spirit was well received by both fanbases, give or take a few haters. Dealing with Tweets about Zuko riding the group’s coattails or being a charity case is easy enough; profile, dots, block. All done. The professional side of Zuko blocks the commenters while encouraging his fans to do the same as well. The petty side of him privately scrolls through the replies and tries not to laugh at the snarky comments his shorter-fused followers shoot back. 

Internet trolls who hide behind a screen to throw death threats at him are nothing, especially considering his background. He’s navigated the treacherous waters of politics and heard worse insults from his own flesh and blood for years. Nobodies on Twitter are child’s play.

What’s less familiar is preparing himself to meet with the Gaang in real life. Powerful CEOs spitting in his face does far less to his heart rate than a simple message exchange right after the Gaang’s official Twitter replying to him. Seriously, Zuko might’ve died of happiness after their conversation if not for the terrifying shame of his Tweet history forcibly bringing him back to Earth.

After Katara’s initial confirmation, the Gaang’s manager, Teo Jiahao, has been messaging him periodically during the following days to iron out the details of their collaboration. He plans future recordings around Zuko’s and the Gaang’s schedule, handling conflicts with relative ease. Sometimes, Zuko wishes he had a manager like Teo, and then he remembers the position would require knowledge of his dual lives. He’s doing just fine on his own, if a little stressed; there’s no reason to drag an innocent person into his problems.

The week flies by quickly. There’s not much for Zuko to do at Fire Corp, other than editing proposals that will never see the light of day and attending meetings where people barely look at him, much less address him. One of the nicer HR ladies sends an email about scheduling an interview with a potential assistant, and Zuko lets out a bitter laugh. 

As if anyone was actually interested in being his assistant. He knows what his reputation is like and the rumors floating around the internet. This person must be extremely desperate to try and cling to the fake heir, the fallen child, the useless sibling. Zuko declines the interview, but after a moment of consideration, he approves the hire. They’re only going to be temporary, anyway. No one’s made it past three months. His past assistants have quit for various reasons that Zuko can’t really blame them for. 

Money? He’s living off the wages he earns from his three jobs, forget about any inheritance. Status? If being looked down upon qualifies as status, then sure. Connections? Ha. What kind of fool would associate themselves with Zuko Kasai? Whoever it is and whatever they’re after, his possible “assistant” is going to be in for one hell of an awakening.

But back to lighter things. Zuko promptly shares the news of his collab with his confidants when his sister and friends are over at Uncle Iroh’s cafe, and the range of reactions is overwhelmingly positive. Uncle beams with pride and a small hint of smugness that Zuko pointedly ignores, Lu Ten congratulating him with a hearty grin and a harsh but well-meaning smack on the back. Azula simply smirks and tells him not to fuck up this opportunity; a kind gesture, in her own twisted way. Ty Lee squeals and jumps up to hug him, while Mai raises a sharp brow.

“The Gaang? Really? It isn’t some online poser?”

“Hm.” Zuko pauses as Ty Lee releases him from her tight embrace. “I don’t think so.”

She snorts. “As long as you aren’t getting scammed, then. Congrats.”

The normally stone-faced woman nods at him with a barely-there smile. It hits Zuko all at once; he would be meeting his idols, the people who pulled him away from his dark spiral, who unknowingly saved the life of a depressed teenager. And not just meeting them. He’s going to be interacting with them, talking with them, being seen by them. 

Spirits be damned. This is really happening, isn’t it? A dream he could only keep in the farthest reaches of his longing heart is going to be brought to life in a few days. Nothing could get rid of this euphoric feeling, this cloud nine moment. Nothing, absolutely nothing could bring him down.

“And as long as you don’t go all ga-ga for Sokka when you meet him.”

Of course, like all good things in Zuko’s life, his high nose-dives drastically, bombing at Mai’s deadpan tone. Zuko’s head whips around the room to see if anyone else had caught her words. Surprisingly, no one else is paying attention; Uncle and Ty Lee are too busy planning a party for his accomplishment while Lu Ten tries to tone down their enthusiasm. Azula has disappeared to Spirits knows where, so Zuko refocuses on the dark-haired woman.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t play dumb, Zuko.” Mai rolls her eyes, like Zuko is a child trying her patience. “Your crush, remember?”

Is she still onto this? The scarred man sighs with frustration. Zuko does not have a crush on Sokka. He immediately denies any romantic emotions the girls have suspected him of having on the other man; he's just incredibly attractive, alright? All the fangirls (and fanguys, Zuko not included) would agree with him. Sokka is a charming guy with a personality anyone and their mother would instantly be smitten by. What’s not to like?

Zuko’s pale complexion doesn’t do him any favors, especially when any heated emotion causes his entire face to turn a bright shade of red. Fiercely debating his supposed “feelings” towards Sokka burns his forehead and cheeks, causing the triple devils he unfortunately calls his sister and friends to point it out with barely hidden amusement. For women usually so emotionally closed off, they sure knew how to weaponize his own against him. 

Ty Lee would cock her head and grin like a cat at a fish buffet, and Mai’s eyes bore into him so intensely Zuko thinks she’s reading his soul. Azula was by far the worst of the three; she’s known him all his life, experience allowing her to pinpoint exactly what he’s trying to hide. Like a good little sister, she uses this ability to open the wound and dump buckets of salt into it with a sweet smile. They tease and prod at Zuko, raised eyebrows and curled lips as if they know Zuko better than himself.

Ha! The joke’s on them, because Zuko has only felt respectful admiration towards Sokka. No, Zuko’s heart has never fluttered for the blue-eyed beauty; every emotion towards him is only platonic. It has to be. It must be. Zuko would not ruin this collab before he’s even met the Gaang. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with his idols cannot be sullied by his definitely nonexistent crush on Sokka.

“Well, I’m working with Aang for this video, so I won’t even talk to him.” Zuko snaps back petulantly.

Mai snorts. “Right, like you won’t be interacting with anybody else when it’s their channel, as in all of them.”

“No one is going to talk to me. They won’t even care. They’re not going to be interested in a nobody like me.”

“Whatever you say, Zuko.” The dark haired girl saunters off, snickering. Zuko lets his irritation simmer under his skin, just for a second, before exhaling through his nose. Don’t feed the flame, let it fizzle out on its own. His therapist’s advice rings through his head as Zuko forces his fists to unclench. He puts aside his roiling emotions and rejoins the conversation with his loved ones, firmly shooting down Ty Lee’s suggestion of fireworks. As their discussion continues, Zuko’s mind wanders away.

Lucky for him (and his sanity), his first one-on-one would be with Aang, where the young monk would teach him how to skate. Even the most standoffish person would be instantly charmed by Aang’s carefree and boyish charisma. He’s someone you can’t help but be captivated by, and Zuko is no different. With Aang’s radiant and extroverted personality, there was no way Zuko could fuck this up.

“…ko?”

Yeah, there’s no way. Just trust in Aang, and he’ll be fine. Nothing to it, just gotta go in there, get the recording, and get out. No big deal.

“..ephew…”

He’s a content creator, he’s been in front of the camera dozens of times. Sure, he’ll also be in front of the people he’s been following with starstruck eyes all these years, but— Whatever. It’s going to be fine. He’s fine.

“…Zuko? Are you alright?”

Uncle Iroh’s concerned voice snaps him out of his stupor. Right. Today was the day. The day of reckoning. The day he would meet his heroes and definitely not mess anything up. Yep.

Zuko hefts up a small gym bag to answer the older man’s question. “Just making sure I have everything in here. Thank you for dropping me off, Uncle. I’ll call you when I’m done, you don’t have to wait around for me to finish.”

Zuko pleads with his uncle in his mind to take heed of his words. Meeting with the Gaang is already nerve-wracking as it is; he doesn’t need the additional stress of Uncle watching his mishaps from afar. To his relief, the older man laughs boisterously and waves him off.

“Don’t worry, I know when I’m not wanted. Have fun, nephew!”

“Bye, Uncle.”

Zuko fixes his wooden mask over his face and steps out of the car. He stares intensely at the concrete area in front of him like a soldier about to deploy into battle and grits his teeth. Raising his hand goodbye to Uncle through the car window, Zuko makes his way to the skatepark while hyping himself up mentally.

Be cool, be normal, relax, relax, everything’s gonna be fine. A steady mantra repeats in Zuko’s head. Why are you nervous? It’s just a video, no big deal, just relax. His good eye darts left and right, scanning the park for a familiar group of people. Stay calm, no need to panic. Relax—

Zuko stops just in front of the skatepark gates. Spirits, take him now. The entire Gaang is in attendance, some skating, others watching. Zuko even recognizes some Kyoshi warriors and a couple members of the Freedom Fighters in the mix. Of course Zuko wouldn’t just be filming the video with Aang; the world would give him what he wants in the most convoluted way possible. A monkey’s paw, indeed. This must be some kind of hellish dream, for Zuko to be meeting all these people that he had only watched fondly from behind a screen.

“Hey!”

One word and a finger pointing at him is all it takes for everyone’s attention to be directed towards Zuko. Any possibility running away from the scene is snatched away in an instant as people begin flocking to him outside the skatepark like curious moths to a flame.

“Oh, you must be Blue!”

“Where’s your swords?”

“I loved your newest video!”

“How old are you?”

“Are you really doing a collab with the Gaang?”

If Zuko had any other brain cells that weren’t panicking at this moment, Zuko would liken this bombardment of shouting voices to paparazzi, the flashes of the cameras replaced by shiny, expectant eyes. Funnily enough, Zuko felt more comfortable with the photographers. At least he could ignore the annoying bugs of the press and imagine smacking them away like the insects they were. These are people he could only have dreamt of meeting, and though they are overly enthusiastic, Zuko could not bring himself to even imagine raising a hand to them.

Seriously, have any of them ever heard of personal space? The crowd around him only grows more rowdy the longer Zuko stays silent, and when someone puts a hand on his shoulder, Zuko is ready to call off this whole thing.

”Hey, you’re scaring him. Shoo!”

A familiar voice chuckles and snips back at the ones who jokingly complain, and then the voice is directed at him. “Hey there, Blue. Sorry for springing all these idiots on you, we didn’t mean to make this first video a big thing.”

The voice continues on, but Zuko has stopped comprehending the words coming out of the person’s mouth. What are words, when Sokka Aput himself is standing right next to him and his hand is on your shoulder, his hand. Your shoulder. On. When. How.

So maybe, hypothetically, there may have been a slight possibility that Zuko was completely lying out of his ass when he denied having any romantic feelings for the man currently talking his ear off. Zuko couldn’t help but fall for him. Sokka is exactly his type; a slim and athletic build, immaculate hair, flirtatious but respectful, funny, sometimes a little stupid, unafraid to be himself, and his freckles. Spirits, those freckles are practically the only reason he’s alive.

It’s almost impossible to breathe. Those dangerous freckles so close to him are sending Zuko’s poor heart into overdrive. He thanks his younger self for choosing to wear a full-face mask, his face heating up extremely quickly under the carved cypress imitation of a spirit. Zuko diverts all his brain power on trying to remember how lungs are supposed to function as Sokka finally takes his hand off Zuko’s shoulder.

“Ah, sorry for not introducing myself. I’m Sokka!”

Zuko catches himself before he can blurt out that he already knows, he’s watched their videos since forever and has had a massive crush on him the moment he watched Sokka flirt with the camera once in a muckbang. Swallowing heavily, Zuko pulls out his phone and begins typing. Though he doubts anyone will recognize his voice, Zuko refuses to risk that chance. He shows the screen to Sokka and the other man squints to read the text.

“You’ve watched a couple videos so you know us already?” Sokka gasps in delight. “You’re so diligent, doing research on us. I’ve seen some of yours too! Your sword skills are not bad.”

If Zuko was struck dead right now, he could ascend to the Spirit World with no regrets. His definitely-not crush admitted to watching his videos and even complimented his work; Agni, give him strength to survive the rest of the day. A smack to Sokka’s back makes him jump as a snarky voice pipes up.

“Talking to Blue without us, boomerang boy? Low blow, trying to hog the fresh meat.”

“I was just going to call you guys, I’m not hogging them! Ow, stop hitting me with your walking stick, you gremlin!”

Toph cackles as the rest of the Gaang appear from behind Sokka’s wincing figure. Katara shakes her head in exasperation as Aang and Suki chuckle along with Toph. The awestruck feeling that had slowly begun to recede rushes back in full force when Zuko is suddenly faced with the people who made his younger years survivable. Katara sighs and offers a handshake to Zuko, smiling politely.

“Hi, Blue, I’m Katara. Sorry about my idiot brother.” Zuko shakes his head as he takes Katara’s hand.

“Hey, I’m a delight to talk to!”

“Sure, Sokka.” Suki waves to him, ignoring Sokka’s offended noise. “Hey, I’m Suki. Nice to meet you.”

“And I’m sure you already know me!”

“Toph, they already knew all of us.”

“All I’m hearing is he knows me.” They snipe back at Sokka. “And that’s all that matters.”

Toph and Sokka bicker, Katara attempting to calm both sides (and failing) as Suki watches on amusedly. Zuko can’t believe he’s allowed to witness their bond in person, completely raptured by their unfiltered personalities. The masked man’s gaze slides over to Aang, who makes eye contact almost immediately as if she could tell he was looking at her. A grin flickers across the monk’s face and he bounces up to Zuko.

“Hey, Blue. Are you ready?”

Zuko shrugs, typing into his phone. I guess. I don’t really feel nervous.

“Your hand is shaking, Blue.”

The mentioned hand is swiftly hidden as Aang snickers. Zuko had forgotten that while Aang seemed like a perfect angel in public, he secretly harbored a devilish side that he would spring on unsuspecting victims. Aang was surprisingly sarcastic when they wanted to be, only showcasing their other side when truly comfortable with a friend or to an opponent underestimating him.

Zuko sighs silently and nudges Aang, which only widens the smirk on her face. He drops his grin and lightly elbows Zuko back when they don’t reply.

“Sorry. Are you at least excited to film our video?”

Our video. He had never thought of it that way, that he would be making a collaboration video with his childhood heroes. The Gaang and The Blue Spirit, working and spending time together. Maybe they could become friends, even.

“I’m glad I’m blind, so I don’t have to look at your ugly face.”

“At least I don’t need someone to read instructions for me.”

“Wow, you can read with your level of comprehension? That’s surprising.”

“What’s surprising is that you haven’t grown since middle school.”

Somehow, Sokka and Toph’s conversation has somehow shifted into an insulting competition, with Suki giggling behind her hand at their cutting words. Katara has given up on stopping the two and instead watches the two trade barbs with her arms crossed, appearing unamused. However, the corners of her lips twitching upwards whenever they say something particularly mean betray her true feelings.

Their vicious mocking of each other is nothing new and almost familiar to Zuko, and yet it’s completely jarring. He taps on Aang’s shoulder and holds up his phone. Gray eyes scan the screen and the younger man bursts into laughter.

“No way, Toph and Sokka could never hate each other! That’s just how they show their love!” Aang wipes a tear from his joyous outburst. “They’re best friends!”

Zuko’s gaze returns to the bickering duo. The words themselves are harsh and biting, but none are backed by the heavy fury Zuko is painstakingly familiar with. Ocean blue and faded green eyes blaze hotly, but not with cruel malice. It’s sparked by something softer, sweeter, kinder even. Nothing like the disdain and dismissal behind a narrowed amber gaze of a man who doesn’t care, the cruel mockings of a child too young to understand the words she parrots.

These people are more like a family than his own ever was. Bonds forged in trust and love, unbreakable by the sharpest of blades. This is what drew Zuko to them. This is why he looks up to them, admires them.

This is why Zuko doesn’t belong.

Fingers deftly type, no longer shaking from nervousness. Zuko’s resolve is clearer than ever: make videos with the Gaang with no feelings attached. Don’t get close, don’t hope for anything more. They are his heroes, and he should not sully their pristine image with his presence.

“Hm?” Aang turns to him when Zuko pulls his attention away from the still arguing Toph and Sokka. “Oh, we can start whenever you want! Guys!”

The rest of the Gaang swing their heads around to Aang’s voice. The monk jabs a thumb at the concrete ramps. “We’re gonna start the video soon. Can the rest of you get the others out of here and set up?”

”Sure, Twinkle Toes, we’ll get them out of your hair.”

“But I don’t have— Oh. Haha, very funny, Toph.”

True to their words, the Gaang sans Aang begin herding the others away and getting ready to record. Suki gently but firmly rounds up the Kyoshi warriors, while Toph, ever graceful and demure, just shouts at the Freedom Fighters to leave with less-than-polite words Zuko would never repeat. Katara spends her time setting up and adjusting the cameras and Sokka comes up to Zuko with a black case.

“So I know Teo never went over this with you, but did you want a mic? We weren’t sure if you wanted one.” Zuko shakes his head no, and Sokka nods. “Cool. Oh, hey, I know this is just a test run of a video, but I would be down to do a solo video with you too.”

It’s like the whole world freezes. His— fine, his crush, just asked if he wanted to make a video with him. Sokka Aput, the most handsome man alive, just asked Zuko for a one-on-one. 

“I mean, if you want. I’d love to cross swords with you, even if it doesn’t become a video!” Sokka laughs, hand rubbing the back of his neck. “I mean— I would want to make a video out of it, but if it makes you uncomfortable to spar with someone not of your group—”

Zuko’s already tying out a response with shaky fingers. For once, he doesn’t care about typos or punctuation. He has to get the words out now.

”Oh!” The other man blinks in surprise when a screen is pushed into his face. Zuko cringes at his forwardness before it melts away at the sight of a blinding grin. “That’s great! Let me text Teo about scheduling a recording, and then we can—”

“How about we let him finish this video first, hm, Sokka?” Both of them flinch at the dry but amused feminine voice. Katara clicks her tongue at her brother, who gives a little laugh and backs off. Her gaze softens a little when she looks over to Zuko.

”We’re done setting up. If you’re ready.”

Aang waves at him from over Katara’s shoulder. Zuko’s shoulders drop in relief at not being scolded, but his back is still tense as he crosses the threshold, past the gates of the skate park and into the view of the camera.

“You good?” The shorter man gazes into the eyeholes of Zuko’s mask. Beneath the hard exterior, Zuko smiles in spite of his conflicted feelings. He nods and adjusts his clothes, reminding himself of his self-promise. Get through the collab, don’t let them know who you are, and above all else: don’t get attached.

Aang looks at Zuko one last time and turns his wide smile to the camera propped up in front of them. “Hi, everyone! Today marks the beginning of our collab with the one and only, Blue Spirit!”